Amy Crawford

Amy Crawford

 

Amy Crawford is a Michigan-based freelance journalist writing about cities, science, the environment, art and education. A longtime Smithsonian contributor, her work also appears in CityLab and the Boston Globe.

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Masters of the Storm

Kennedy Warne, author of "The Amazing Albatrosses," talks about dangerous waters and albatross love

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Outlaw Hunters

The Pinkerton Detective Agency chased down some of America's most notorious criminals

"I think the most surprising thing was how Hemingway is still so alive [in Cuba]," says Valerie Hemingway.

Barefoot Hemingway

Valerie Hemingway, author of "Hemingway's Cuba, Cuba's Hemingway," talks about pirated novels and Papa's living legend

With his stylish clothes and powdered wig, Stede Bonnet (in a c. 1725 woodcut) stood out among the bearded, unkempt, ill-mannered pirates with whom he sailed.

The Gentleman Pirate

How Stede Bonnet went from wealthy landowner to villain on the sea

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What's Up

Tiffany diamonds, Portugal and "Great Britons"

"I think most Americans don't realize how close we came to losing the Revolutionary War," says Ferling.

Forget Independence

John Ferling, author of "100 Days that Shook the World," imagines an alternate history

"We keep on talking about doing a book together," says Madeleine Nash, of working with her husband, Thomas (above, at the South Pole).

Extreme Persistence

Madeleine and Thomas Nash braved high altitudes and frigid temperatures for "Chronicling the Ice"

General Marion Inviting a British Officer to Share His Meal

The Swamp Fox

Elusive and crafty, Francis Marion outwitted British troops during the American Revolution

Bruce Willis donates John McClane's undershirt to the National Museum of American History, as museum director Brent Glass looks on.

Die Hard Donation

Bruce Willis gives John McClane's blood-smeared undershirt to the Smithsonian. Yippee-ki-yay...

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What's Up

Playing with words, painting on plexiglass and wearing teeth

Course du BOC 2010

Guiding Lights

Owen Edwards, an old hand at writing our "Object at Hand" column, explains and how he developed a passion for motorcycle racing

Joelle Linhoff, winner of our 4th Annual Photo Contest, spent three days on a hill overlooking a New Zealand pasture before she snapped the photo that would net her the grand prize. “I just took as many photos as I could,” she says, “using as much film as I had brought. I allotted one whole roll of film to the pasture.”

Capturing the Moment

The winner of the 4th Annual Photo Contest shows off her work in this exclusive photo gallery

Portuguese King Manuel I (who ruled from 1495-1521), commissioned this Belgian tapestry to commemorate explorer Vasco da Gama's "discovery" of India in 1498. Da Gama is the figure at the left, kneeling before an Indian sultan. In the center, Portuguese sailors load exotic animals—including, strangely, a unicorn—into their ships, for transport to the Portuguese royal zoo.

Global Empire

The curator of an ambitious new exhibition explains how Portugal brought the world together

Joan of Arc retains her status as a religious and patriotic heroine, especially in France.

France's Leading Lady

Relics from her 1431 execution are a forgery. Will we ever know the real Joan of Arc?

The first thing Terry Smith did after moving to Washington in 1977 was buy a boat and sail it on the Bay.

A Great Adventure

Terry Smith, author of "Beyond Jamestown," sailed in the 400-year-old wake of colonial explorer Capt. John Smith

The question doesn't rank up there with, say, What is gravity? But where was the hamburger invented? To promote its claim, Akron, Ohio, hosts the National Hamburger Festival on July 21 and 22. Over 20,000 people served, including competitive eater Dave "Coondog" O'Karma.

Highlights & Hotspots

A selection of the season's noteworthy events

"During Derby Week, Louisville is the capital of the world," wrote John Steinbeck in 1956.

Derby Days

Thoroughbreds, mint juleps, big hats—the Kentucky Derby's place in American history

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What's Up

Duke Ellington, animated movies and the old ballgame

An Old Bailey trial, circa 1808

Capturing a Narrative

In this interview, Guy Gugliotta, author of "Digitizing the Hanging Court," talks about the Old Bailey's influence on Dickens, Defoe and other writers

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Horse Appeal

In this interview, Steve Twomey, author of "Barbaro's Legacy," discusses how interest in the horse extends outside the racetrack

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